National Republican., 1887-07-19
CONSULAR nEPORTS.

Consul General. Armstrong, at Rio de
Janelro, Brazil, thus speaks OF the "Sugar
Industry Of Brazil; ~
have before alluded to the precarious
condition OF the sugar industry OF this
country, and to the suggestion made In the
Brazilian chamber OF deputies, by promi-
nent 9nd influential member OF that body,
that his government should endeavor to
obtain from the United States a reduction
in the import duty on sugar, Offering In
compensation to reduce the duties on
American merchandise imported into
Brazil.
The sugar merchants Of this city recently
held meeting at which there was reached
an exposition of the state OF the sugar
trade, from which IL appears that In some
OF the most important sugar districts OF the
empire the planters receive for their raw
sugar only from one to two cents per pound,
and that, in tho opinion Of the meeting
(oomposed OF some OF the most prominent
sugar merchants. Of this city,, "the country
IA seriously threatened with the total ruin
Of It's sugar industry" 1t was therefore
the purpose Of defending the important In
terests now In jeopardy" and l observe
that one Of the articles OF the programme
OF this association favors the policy OF ne
gotiating commercial treaties with sugar
consuming countries, and especially a
treaty Of reciprocity with the United States
for the purpose Of Increasing the consump-
tion rof Brazilian ssugar among Its popula-
tion, since the republic Is In position to
b, come the principal sugar market Of the
world.n
Brazil at present exports annually from
200, 600 10 300. 900 tons Of sugar, correspond
ing to about one.fourth Of the quantity con-
eumed in the United States. It preserves
vast tracts OF land admirably adapted to
NkaN .t.lNl Nt,Va
prices and an adequate supply OF labor, IL
could easily furnish all the sugar needed
for our consumption beyond what Is pro-
duced on our own soil, as II already sup
plies US with the greater part Of the coffee
which we consume. And, although the
balance Of trade is now largely against us
and the increased consumption OF Brazilian
sugar would greatly augment the amount
Of our importations from Brazil, there can
be no doubt Of our ability to ship to this
country merchandise at least equal In value
to that which we would receive therefrom,
II the Brazilian government, to save its
sugar industry from ruin, should admit our
products Oh terms that will enable US to
undersell our European competitors. This
we hope to do finally In every case but a
commercial treaty, properly framed, would
permit us to accomplish Immediately that
which must otherwise be the result Of
many years Of toilsome and unremittlng
labor.
Consul Fay, at stettin, Germany, writes
as follows on the merchant marine OF Ger
many: According to the official statistics OF
the German empire, the number OF sailing
vessels on January ], 1886, lno later date
| was 3,471; Of these / ,6Ss, or 4S.1 per cent,
| were over twenty years in service, whereas
| In 1851 only 34.5 per cent, or 1,474 out OF
| total Of 4 ,246, had seen the same service; OF
| the remaining 1,7s3 on January /, 1886, 81
| per cent, or 1882, were under ten years In
service; in the year 1851 26 per cent, or
| 1,113, were of the same age. or late years
the Germans have been building unusually
large sailing vessels. On account Of bitter
competition the freight rates have become
so reduced that smaller vessels pay nc
profits to the owners. In the year 1855
there were launched 10 sailing vesselt
Of 1929 register tons; ! full-rigged ship Of
1,506 tons, and barks OF S,192 tons
whereas only IA smaller vessels were
built, with a total Of 1,624 register tons
The building Of steamships was limited
in the same year to 23 screw steamers, will
total Of 10,0s1 register tons, and paddle
steamers Of 697 tons. This shows plainly
that the measurement Of the newly-buil
sailing vessels exceeds that Of the screw
vessels which we constructed In the sam,
year. About 8 sailors are requisite for q
| salllnB Vtssel OIL SUU 10 OUU replbUeT tOnS
but q vessel five times the size, namely
1000 to 1000 tons, does not require flv,
times as many men, only % being the re
Quired number.
II one considers the savings Of large yes
eels in the crew, in the construction Of tn
hull, in the rigging, repairing, &C., 1t 1
explainable that In our time Of low freigh
rates these large vessels still leave prof
and, In consequence OF It, the building @
them has not ceased, Notwithstanding th
large number already in existence, but
still going on.
The large vessels, as lalready stated, pa
small percentage on the present rates o
freight, whereas the smaller ships canno
compete with them without being tn
losers, and at the present time there is n,
probability Of an advance in the tariff
which is poor consolation for shipowners
Should there be an advance, the cargoe
would rapidly decrease. partly because
great many goods cannot bear o highe
cost, and partly because the railways ar
constantly on the lookout to increase thei
traffic, as they are now, with the presen
rates, dangerous competitors.